(Ottawa) Francis Fox, former senator and cabinet minister under Pierre Elliott Trudeau, has died at age 84.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement announcing the death that Mr. Fox was a lawyer who was first elected to the Quebec Parliament in 1972.
Justin Trudeau said Mr. Fox served under his father as solicitor general, communications minister and secretary of state of Canada.
In January 1978, Francis Fox was forced to temporarily resign from the cabinet after publicly admitting that he had forged his girlfriend’s husband’s signature on a hospital form so she could have an abortion.
Justin Trudeau said Fox’s contributions during his 12 years in Parliament included introducing the Access to Information Act and overseeing the creation of Telefilm Canada.
Francis Fox was appointed to the Senate in 2005 and resigned on December 2, 2011, his 72nd year.e anniversary, citing personal and family reasons for leaving his post three years before the end of his term.
“Francis left an indelible mark on Canadian politics,” Justin Trudeau wrote in the statement. “Today, we remember him and the legacy he leaves us. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my condolences to his family and friends.”